Chelsea's Fernando Torres failed to find his touch against Fulham and was substituted midway through the second half. Photograph: Jonathan Brady/EPA

Chelsea's title defence had already felt fraught; now it merely appears forlorn. The champions limped from this local derby perplexed as to how their monopoly of possession had not yielded any reward but even more baffled that they should be left feeling relief at having claimed even a point. These are uncomfortable times indeed.

Petr Cech's fine penalty save in the final minute of stoppage time at the end, the goalkeeper diving full length to his right to push away Clint Dempsey's attempt, salvaged a draw, though it has not resurrected a championship challenge.

Too much about this team suddenly feels awkward and ungainly, with Fernando Torres's integration into both form and formation still painful to behold. The leaders, Manchester United, are a distant 12 points away. More urgent is the champions' need to reclaim a position in the top four. Carlo Ancelotti insisted he was pleased with his team's performance, if not the result, in the aftermath though the manager's backing was unconvincing. Mid-season is a tricky time to re-jig an approach, and each outing feels experimental at present.

Torres had been included ahead of Didier Drogba here as part of a concerted effort to dominate midfield. That much was achieved, with Chelsea enjoying the ball at will, but there was little bite and shape to their attacking play. The possession counted for little.

Then there was Torres himself. The £50m Spaniard showed only vague flashes of belief and his display was summed up by a heavy touch after collecting David Luiz's wonderful long pass just before the interval, the ball dribbling obligingly to an onrushing Mark Schwarzer. The forward was hauled from the fray some 19 minutes from the end to allow Drogba an opportunity to ruffle tiring if admirably resolute opponents. Torres retreated with a sigh and to a hug, delivered almost apologetically, from the striker who replaced him.

"Every striker wants to score but I don't think Fernando's frustrated," said Ancelotti. "He just needs time to play with us. He played well, using his ability to move, and had some opportunities. His performance was better than against Liverpool." How long Drogba will put up with life as second fiddle remains to be seen, but Torres must be this forward line's focal point.

At present, Ancelotti is still attempting to accommodate this country's record transfer. Privately Torres will be craving a goal to choke the permanent and predictable chorus from opposing supporters. There were four chances here either side of half-time, though his radar remains skew-whiff. None really troubled Schwarzer. The manager's dilemma is compounded by the reality that Drogba has hardly been setting the Premier League alight either this term. Indeed, this club's only in-form forward is currently on loan at Bolton Wanderers. Suddenly, Daniel Sturridge feels sorely missed.

Chelsea created plenty of half-chances, Michael Essien flicking a header wide and Frank Lampard and David Luiz sending efforts high where they might normally have scored. Yet they could have ended with nothing. The game had been drifting, with Chelsea apparently spent of ideas, when Dempsey wriggled into space on the counterattack and drew David Luiz's only notable error on his full debut. The Brazilian's lunge conceded a penalty. "Maybe he was tired," said Ancelotti. The mistake should not deflect entirely from a hugely impressive performance. At least one of the champions' big money signings appears to have settled in with ease.

Dempsey took the spot-kick himself with Danny Murphy having been replaced, only for Cech to muster the game's most significant save. The referee, Mike Dean, chose not to order a retake despite Drogba clearly encroaching. "For the title, a point is too little," said Cech. "It is not over but the others are winning while we have dropped another two points."

Behind the scenes, the focus must be switching to a return to the top four and their ongoing Champions League campaign, which resumes in Copenhagen next week. Torres qualifies for that competition, though not for the FA Cup on Saturday. Ancelotti's attempts to conjure a formula for his forward line go on.